The EU calls for a thorough investigation of the pogrom of the office of human rights activists in the formidable

Violence, threats and intimidation once again prevent the work of an independent civil society in the Chechen Republic. This was stated by the official representative of the European Foreign Policy Service, Interfax reports .

“The deliberate act of vandalism regarding the office of the Nizhny Novgorod Committee against torture yesterday in Grozny after the demonstrations arranged when the Chechen authorities was arranged when the Chechen authorities is an additional evidence of the infringement of the work of human rights activists in Russia,” the representative of the EUS said to carefully investigate this incident and provide the necessary protection of human rights defenders in Russia in accordance with their international obligations. ”

The Committee against torture is one of the few human rights groups acting in Chechnya, which documents “widespread human rights violations taking place in the North Caucasus,” the representative of EUS emphasized.

"This incident follows the recent expulsion on the dubious visa justifications of three EU citizens who ensured the preparation of the committee against torture in Nizhny Novgorod," he said. In Brussels, it is believed that human rights activists should be able to continue work in the interests of Russian citizens, in particular, in those regions of Russia where it is most necessary.

On Thursday, employees of the Interregional Public Organization Committee against torture turned to Chechnya’s law enforcement agencies regarding the attack on their office, said the head of the checkpoint Igor Kalyapin.

"Several statements are currently submitted to the police and the TFR bodies. Including the inaction of police officers. After all, despite our numerous messages about the attack, the police have not reacted until everything was completed," Kalyapin said.

Commenting on the statement of President Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov that the committee officers themselves provoked an attack on their office, Kalyapin emphasized that "there were no dialogues with the attackers."

The checkpoint will continue to work in Chechnya, Kalyapin said . However, he did not rule out that the office would be transferred to another place.

The investigative group investigating the incident with the pogrom of the office of the committee against torture, prepares materials for initiating a criminal case under two articles. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs for Chechnya, Alaudinov, RIA Novosti reports .

“Today we will transfer the materials to the investigation, a decision will be made to initiate a criminal case. The case will be unequivocally opened. There are crimes, we see there violations of the law under two articles - this is“ damage to property ”and“ penetration, ”Alaudinov said. According to him, the investigators detained 35 participants in the action on Wednesday.

The pogrom of the office from the consolidated mobile group of human rights activists occurred after the rally of the memory of Dzhambulat Dadaev, who was killed in April in Grozny police from Stavropol while trying to detain. About 200 people, mainly women, came to the house where the SMG office is located. They began to shout the slogans "Why are Kalyapins silent?" And "killers to answer!".

Then about 10 people with scraps and sledgehammer appeared near the office. They were in hoods, black glasses and medical masks. At first, these people defeated the car of human rights activists, parked in the yard. Then they broke into the porch and painted over the eye of the office door. Unable to hack the metal door, the attackers entered the office through the balcony.

The four in the office of human rights activists SMG were evacuated through the window. The attackers completely defeated the room, destroyed office equipment and carried away all the documents. Then, with the help of a grinder, they began to open the door to the apartment of human rights activists, located in the same entrance. The police were inactive. Kalyapin’s attempts to contact Alaudinov were unsuccessful.